A Potion Ingredients Supplier
by JuliaBC
Summary: As a favor to Minerva, Ginny goes to pick up some potions, meeting a familiar face in the shop. Sequel to A Magical Night for Ginny, and Ginny and Severus at the Dance.


Severus unlocked the door and walked into the small shop. Since resigning from Hogwarts, he had opened a small potion supply shop. He got most of his business from mail orders—not many of his customers actually came to his shop. Today he had to finish up the potions that he was making as a special favor to Minerva. She would be coming to pick them up that evening, and he still had a few things to add to them.

Ginny had just gotten home from work—a small post in the MInistry of Magic. When she had found out she was pregnant, she had had to quit her job playing Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies. All she dealt with in his job was paperwork, for she was prepared for nothing else. In her seventh year, she had done her best to pay no attention to things like that. As a result, the only thing she could do properly was play Quidditch. She had not studied or applied for anything else. The result was her being stuck in a dead end job she'd only gotten because Ron was an Auror. So yes, she could say that she worked in the Auror office. She did...filing paperwork.

Her mum watched Elicia during the day, and was glad to do it, making Ginny incredibly grateful. But here was her mother now, appearing from the fireplace. Elicia was giggling; she loved traveling by floo powder. "Hello, dear." Molly said, pulling Ginny into a tight hug. "Listen, Minerva owled, she was supposed to pick up some potions but now can't fit it in and she was wondering if you'd go? She couldn't think of anyone else who'd be available."

Ginny was a bit surprised but acquiesced. "Of course I will. You'll continue to watch Elicia, I suppose?"

"Of course, dear. Oh, right, another reason Minerva was asking you is because you have a car, and she thought that would be the best way to transport the potions. The shop doesn't have a fireplace so she can't floo there. You'd have to drive back here with them. Obviously, you can't carry potions on a broomstick, so car it is. You know, it is unusual that you have a car, dear, and—" Ginny, really not wanting to get into where she had gotten that car, interrupted. "I'll just change." She said loudly, kissed Elicia on the cheek, and gently steered her mother back to the fireplace. "Oh, and here are the directions." Molly said cheerfully. "See you later, dear. Ahem. The burrow," she said in a clear voice, after throwing some floo powder. Now she stepped in and she and Elicia waved merrily as they were swept away.

Ginny quickly changed into jeans and a jumper, and replaced her heels with trainers. She scanned the directions McGonagall had sent. Right, this should only an hour and a half, tops, she thought, and headed to her car.

Severus looked at the clock. Minerva should have been here by now, he thought. He went to the back to check on the Polyjuice potion one last time, and one last time wondered what Minerva needed it for. He heard the bells on the shop door chime. "You're rather late, Minerva," he said, walking back out. But it wasn't Minerva standing there—it was Ginny Weasley. He stopped walking and just looked at her. Even in jeans and jumper, she looked as brilliant as she had been at the dance. She turned around and the look on her face was almost comical. "Professor?" She asked in amazement.

"Severus," he corrected automatically and winced. He was supposed to be distancing himself from her. Yet, he did want her to call him Severus. Just the way she said it, just to hear it from her mouth, just to see her lips forming the word...good gods, he thought angrily. What on earth am I doing?

She had now gotten over her surprise. "Er, Severus. Hello. Um, McGonagall sent me over for the potions. She got too busy to come herself."

He nodded, watching her. She looked shy, dodging his gaze but trying to meet his eyes just the same. "I'll just go get the," he said, then paused. "How did you travel here?"

"By car," she said quickly.

"All right." He walked quickly into the back and leaned against the counter for a moment. Seeing her here overwhelmed him. He shook his head to clear it, and packed the potions in things that were appropriate for a car ride. He walked back out, and saw Ginny looking all over the shop. He paused in the doorway, just watching her cautiously touch the ingredients she saw. "You have more ingredients than the Apothecary on Diagon Alley." She said, and turned to face him. Her hair swung gently.

"Yes, I do. My shop specializes in hard to get ingredients. I make a good business," he said, and placed the potions on the counter. "I don't usually make potions, this is just a favor for McGonagall."

"Ah," she said, and walked forward. She placed her right hand on the potion box. "Um, Severus...would you—"

Severus had no idea what she was going to say but had a feeling it would get him in trouble with his conscience. "Does your child like Cockroach Clusters?" He blurted out and mentally slapped himself. Ginny looked taken aback. "She's too young for that sort of thing." She said, and picked up the box of potions. "Could you open the door?" She asked, in a resigned sounding voice.

Ginny was angry at herself. Obviously the dance had been a fluke and Snape wanted nothing to do with her. Cockroach Clusters, she thought blisteringly, and Severus quickly walked in front of her and held open the door. "Do you need me to get the car door, also?" He asked. Ginny nodded, and he hurried ahead of her. "Wait, I locked it." She said, and he stopped. "Here, you take these." She said, giving him the boxes. Their hands didn't touch. Ginny cursed herself for having hoped they would. She fished her keys out of her pocket and walked forward to manually unlock the doors. She then opened the back door, and before Snape could try to place them in the car himself, she grabbed them from him and placed them firmly in the back seat, securing them with a seat belt. "That should hold." She said, and was suddenly at a lost at what to say next. Snape was just looking down at her, not speaking. She sighed. "Goodbye, Professor." She said, hoping he'd correct her. He didn't. "Goodbye, Miss Weasley." He said, stepping forward to open her door for her. She didn't know what to make of that as she got into the car. He also shut it for her, a resounding slam in the relative silence of the evening. She rolled down her window, and, like at the ball, was desperate to find something to say to him. But he had already turned and was walking back to the shop. "Damn." She said, and leaped out of the car. Severus turned around, looking at her in surprise as she raced back towards him. "Severus," she called, "What are you doing on Friday? Nothing, I saw your calendar. Come to my house, meet my daughter, please."

He just stared at her. "Please." She repeated, and reaching him, took his hand. A faint color stained his pale face. "All right," he said haltingly, and his awkward answer pleased her more than any romantic song or poem could have.

Author's note: My Snape is a nicer, softer Snape then the one in the books. My reasoning is that this is after Hogwarts, he is no longer a double agent, and he's just happier where he is now. He has no real troubles now and therefore has no reason to be cruel or nasty. There's nothing to put him in a bad mood, and now he's like Lily's Severus—he still has a mean streak, but is mostly nice and just awkward at showing it.


End file.
